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2 Maccabees 9

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1 περὶ δὲ τὸν καιρὸν ἐκεῖνον ἐτύγχανεν Ἀντίοχος ἀναλελυκὼς ἀκόσμως ἐκ τῶν περὶ τὴν Περσίδα τόπων 2 εἰσεληλύθει γὰρ εἰς τὴν λεγομένην Περσέπολιν καὶ ἐπεχείρησεν ἱεροσυλεῖν καὶ τὴν πόλιν συνέχειν διὸ δὴ τῶν πληθῶν ὁρμησάντων ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν ὅπλων βοήθειαν ἐτράπησαν καὶ συνέβη τροπωθέντα τὸν Ἀντίοχον ὑπὸ τῶν ἐγχωρίων ἀσχήμονα τὴν ἀναζυγὴν ποιήσασθαι 3 ὄντι δὲ αὐτῷ κα{T'} Ἐκβάτανα προσέπεσεν τὰ κατὰ Νικάνορα καὶ τοὺς περὶ Τιμόθεον γεγονότα 4 ἐπαρθεὶς δὲ τῷ θυμῷ ᾤετο καὶ τὴν τῶν πεφυγαδευκότων αὐτὸν κακίαν εἰς τοὺς Ιουδαίους ἐναπερείσασθαι διὸ συνέταξεν τὸν ἁρματηλάτην ἀδιαλείπτως ἐλαύνοντα κατανύειν τὴν πορείαν τῆς ἐξ οὐρανοῦ δὴ κρίσεως συνούσης αὐτῷ οὕτως γὰρ ὑπερηφάνως εἶπεν πολυάνδριον Ιουδαίων Ιεροσόλυμα ποιήσω παραγενόμενος ἐκεῖ

1 Antiochus himself, at this time, had a sorry home-coming from Persia. 2 He had made his way into the city they call Persepolis, thinking to plunder its temple and of itself have the mastery; but the common folk ran to arms and routed him. So he was a man defeated and disgraced 3 when he reached Ecbatana, and there news came to him of how Nicanor had fared, and Timotheus. 4 And now, in a great taking of rage, he would make the Jews suffer for the ignominy of his own defeat; on, on his chariot must be driven, and never a halt in the journey, with the divine vengeance ever at his heels. Had he not boasted, Jerusalem was his goal, and he would bury the Jewish race under the ruins of it?

1 Eodem tempore, Antiochus inhoneste revertebatur de Perside. 2 Intraverat enim in eam quæ dicitur Persepolis, et tentavit expoliare templum, et civitatem opprimere: sed multitudine ad arma concurrente, in fugam versi sunt: et ita contigit ut Antiochus post fugam turpiter rediret. 3 Et cum venisset circa Ecbatanam, recognovit quæ erga Nicanorem et Timotheum gesta sunt. 4 Elatus autem in ira, arbitrabatur se injuriam illorum qui se fugaverant posse in Judæos retorquere: ideoque jussit agitari currum suum sine intermissione agens iter, cælesti eum judicio perurgente, eo quod ita superbe locutus est se venturum Jerosolymam, et congeriem sepulchri Judæorum eam facturum.

5 ὁ δὲ παντεπόπτης κύριος ὁ θεὸς τοῦ Ισραηλ ἐπάταξεν αὐτὸν ἀνιάτῳ καὶ ἀοράτῳ πληγῇ ἄρτι δὲ αὐτοῦ καταλήξαντος τὸν λόγον ἔλαβεν αὐτὸν ἀνήκεστος τῶν σπλάγχνων ἀλγηδὼν καὶ πικραὶ τῶν ἔνδον βάσανοι 6 πάνυ δικαίως τὸν πολλαῖς καὶ ξενιζούσαις συμφοραῖς ἑτέρων σπλάγχνα βασανίσαντα 7 ὁ {D'} οὐδαμῶς τῆς ἀγερωχίας ἔληγεν ἔτι δὲ καὶ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας ἐπεπλήρωτο πῦρ πνέων τοῖς θυμοῖς ἐπὶ τοὺς Ιουδαίους καὶ κελεύων ἐποξύνειν τὴν πορείαν συνέβη δὲ καὶ πεσεῖν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἅρματος φερομένου ῥοίζῳ καὶ δυσχερεῖ πτώματι περιπεσόντα πάντα τὰ μέλη τοῦ σώματος ἀποστρεβλοῦσθαι 8 ὁ {D'} ἄρτι δοκῶν τοῖς τῆς θαλάσσης κύμασιν ἐπιτάσσειν διὰ τὴν ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον ἀλαζονείαν καὶ πλάστιγγι τὰ τῶν ὀρέων οἰόμενος ὕψη στήσειν κατὰ γῆν γενόμενος ἐν φορείῳ παρεκομίζετο φανερὰν τοῦ θεοῦ πᾶσιν τὴν δύναμιν ἐνδεικνύμενος 9 ὥστε καὶ ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ δυσσεβοῦς σκώληκας ἀναζεῖν καὶ ζῶντος ἐν ὀδύναις καὶ ἀλγηδόσιν τὰς σάρκας αὐτοῦ διαπίπτειν ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς ὀσμῆς αὐτοῦ πᾶν τὸ στρατόπεδον βαρύνεσθαι τὴν σαπρίαν 10 καὶ τὸν μικρῷ πρότερον τῶν οὐρανίων ἄστρων ἅπτεσθαι δοκοῦντα παρακομίζειν οὐδεὶς ἐδύνατο διὰ τὸ τῆς ὀσμῆς ἀφόρητον βάρος

5 The Lord, Israel’s God, how should aught escape his scrutiny? The words were barely uttered, when he smote Antiochus with such a hurt, there was neither remedying nor discovering it. A deadly griping it was that took him, with cruel torment of the bowels; 6 fitting reward for one that had often tortured his fellows, and to the marrow, in unexampled fashion. Even so, he would not leave his wicked purpose; 7 with pride undiminished, still breathing out fiery threats against the Jewish folk, he pressed forward on his errand, till of a sudden, in full career, down fell he from his chariot, and never a limb but was racked grievously by the fall. 8 What a living proof was this of God’s power, when he was struck to earth, and must finish his journey by litter, one that boasted, till now, he could rise beyond man’s measure, the sea’s waves govern, and weigh mountains in the balance! 9 Bred worms at last in that sinful body, and he lived yet, though miserably enough, to see his own flesh rot away, till his own men could not bear the foul stench of him; 10 it was but yesterday the very stars seemed within his reach, and never a man now would carry so foul a burden.

5 Sed qui universa conspicit Dominus Deus Israël, percussit eum insanabili et invisibili plaga. Ut enim finivit hunc ipsum sermonem, apprehendit eum dolor dirus viscerum, et amara internorum tormenta: 6 et quidem satis juste, quippe qui multis et novis cruciatibus aliorum torserat viscera, licet ille nullo modo a sua malitia cessaret. 7 Super hoc autem superbia repletus, ignem spirans animo in Judæos, et præcipiens accelerari negotium, contigit illum impetu euntem de curru cadere, et gravi corporis collisione membra vexari. 8 Isque qui sibi videbatur etiam fluctibus maris imperare, supra humanum modum superbia repletus, et montium altitudines in statera appendere, nunc humiliatus ad terram in gestatorio portabatur, manifestam Dei virtutem in semetipso contestans: 9 ita ut de corpore impii vermes scaturirent, ac viventis in doloribus carnes ejus effluerent, odore etiam illius et fœtore exercitus gravaretur: 10 et qui paulo ante sidera cæli contingere se arbitrabatur, eum nemo poterat propter intolerantiam fœtoris portare.

11 ἐνταῦθα οὖν ἤρξατο τὸ πολὺ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας λήγειν τεθραυσμένος καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἔρχεσθαι θείᾳ μάστιγι κατὰ στιγμὴν ἐπιτεινόμενος ταῖς ἀλγηδόσιν 12 καὶ μηδὲ τῆς ὀσμῆς αὐτοῦ δυνάμενος ἀνέχεσθαι ταῦ{T'} ἔφη δίκαιον ὑποτάσσεσθαι τῷ θεῷ καὶ μὴ θνητὸν ὄντα ἰσόθεα φρονεῖν 13 ηὔχετο δὲ ὁ μιαρὸς πρὸς τὸν οὐκέτι αὐτὸν ἐλεήσοντα δεσπότην οὕτως λέγων 14 τὴν μὲν ἁγίαν πόλιν ἣν σπεύδων παρεγίνετο ἰσόπεδον ποιῆσαι καὶ πολυάνδριον οἰκοδομῆσαι ἐλευθέραν ἀναδεῖξαι 15 τοὺς δὲ Ιουδαίους οὓς διεγνώκει μηδὲ ταφῆς ἀξιῶσαι οἰωνοβρώτους δὲ σὺν τοῖς νηπίοις ἐκρίψειν θηρίοις πάντας αὐτοὺς ἴσους Ἀθηναίοις ποιήσειν 16 ὃν δὲ πρότερον ἐσκύλευσεν ἅγιον νεὼ καλλίστοις ἀναθήμασιν κοσμήσειν καὶ τὰ ἱερὰ σκεύη πολυπλάσια πάντα ἀποδώσειν τὰς δὲ ἐπιβαλλούσας πρὸς τὰς θυσίας συντάξεις ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων προσόδων χορηγήσειν 17 πρὸς δὲ τούτοις καὶ Ιουδαῖον ἔσεσθαι καὶ πάντα τόπον οἰκητὸν ἐπελεύσεσθαι καταγγέλλοντα τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ κράτος

11 What marvel, if the swelling pride of him ebbed away, and heaven’s judgements brought him to himself? With every moment his anguish grew, 12 and the foul breath of his disease was past his own bearing. Alas, said he, to God all must bow; mortals we are, and god ourselves we may not. 13 Nay, he made suit to the Lord, vile wretch though he were, hoping all in vain to win mercy. 14 Forgotten, his haste to lay Jerusalem in ruins, and make a cemetery of it; a free city it should be thenceforward. 15 Grudge the Jewish folk burial, give their carrion to bird and beast, make an end of them, children and all? Nay, such high privileges they should have as the townsfolk of Athens itself. 16 And for that sacred temple he had stripped bare, with choice gifts he would enrich it, furnishing it as never before, and defraying, from his own purse, all the cost of its sacrifices. 17 Stay, he would become a Jew himself, would go the rounds of earth, proclaiming everywhere the divine power!

11 Hinc igitur cœpit ex gravi superbia deductus ad agnitionem sui venire, divina admonitus plaga, per momenta singula doloribus suis augmenta capientibus. 12 Et cum nec ipse jam fœtorem suum ferre posset, ita ait: Justum est subditum esse Deo, et mortalem non paria Deo sentire. 13 Orabat autem hic scelestus Dominum, a quo non esset misericordiam consecuturus. 14 Et civitatem, ad quam festinans veniebat ut eam ad solum deduceret ac sepulchrum congestorum faceret, nunc optat liberam reddere: 15 et Judæos, quos nec sepultura quidem se dignos habiturum, sed avibus ac feris diripiendos traditurum, et cum parvulis exterminaturum dixerat, æquales nunc Atheniensibus facturum pollicetur: 16 templum etiam sanctum, quod prius expoliaverat, optimis donis ornaturum, et sancta vasa multiplicaturum, et pertinentes ad sacrificia sumptus de redditibus suis præstaturum: 17 super hæc, et Judæum se futurum, et omnem locum terræ perambulaturum, et prædicaturum Dei potestatem.

18 οὐδαμῶς δὲ ληγόντων τῶν πόνων ἐπεληλύθει γὰρ ἐ{P'} αὐτὸν δικαία ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ κρίσις τὰ κα{T'} αὐτὸν ἀπελπίσας ἔγραψεν πρὸς τοὺς Ιουδαίους τὴν ὑπογεγραμμένην ἐπιστολὴν ἱκετηρίας τάξιν ἔχουσαν περιέχουσαν δὲ οὕτως 19 τοῖς χρηστοῖς Ιουδαίοις τοῖς πολίταις πολλὰ χαίρειν καὶ ὑγιαίνειν καὶ εὖ πράττειν βασιλεὺς καὶ στρατηγὸς Ἀντίοχος 20 εἰ ἔρρωσθε καὶ τὰ τέκνα καὶ τὰ ἴδια κατὰ γνώμην ἐστὶν ὑμῖν εἰς οὐρανὸν τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχων 21 ὑμῶν τὴν τιμὴν καὶ τὴν εὔνοιαν ἐμνημόνευον φιλοστόργως ἐπανάγων ἐκ τῶν κατὰ τὴν Περσίδα τόπων καὶ περιπεσὼν ἀσθενείᾳ δυσχέρειαν ἐχούσῃ ἀναγκαῖον ἡγησάμην φροντίσαι τῆς κοινῆς πάντων ἀσφαλείας 22 οὐκ ἀπογινώσκων τὰ κα{T'} ἐμαυτόν ἀλλὰ ἔχων πολλὴν ἐλπίδα ἐκφεύξεσθαι τὴν ἀσθένειαν 23 θεωρῶν δὲ ὅτι καὶ ὁ πατήρ κα{Q'} οὓς καιροὺς εἰς τοὺς ἄνω τόπους ἐστρατοπέδευσεν ἀνέδειξεν τὸν διαδεξάμενον 24 ὅπως ἐάν τι παράδοξον ἀποβαίνῃ ἢ καὶ προσαγγελθῇ τι δυσχερές εἰδότες οἱ κατὰ τὴν χώραν ᾧ καταλέλειπται τὰ πράγματα μὴ ἐπιταράσσωνται 25 πρὸς δὲ τούτοις κατανοῶν τοὺς παρακειμένους δυνάστας καὶ γειτνιῶντας τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῖς καιροῖς ἐπέχοντας καὶ προσδοκῶντας τὸ ἀποβησόμενον ἀναδέδειχα τὸν υἱὸν Ἀντίοχον βασιλέα ὃν πολλάκις ἀνατρέχων εἰς τὰς ἐπάνω σατραπείας τοῖς πλείστοις ὑμῶν παρεκατετιθέμην καὶ συνίστων γέγραφα δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν τὰ ὑπογεγραμμένα 26 παρακαλῶ οὖν ὑμᾶς καὶ ἀξιῶ μεμνημένους τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν κοινῇ καὶ κα{T'} ἰδίαν ἕκαστον συντηρεῖν τὴν οὖσαν εὔνοιαν εἰς ἐμὲ καὶ τὸν υἱόν 27 πέπεισμαι γὰρ αὐτὸν ἐπιεικῶς καὶ φιλανθρώπως παρακολουθοῦντα τῇ ἐμῇ προαιρέσει συμπεριενεχθήσεσθαι ὑμῖν

18 But all to no avail; the vengeance of God, well earned, had overtaken him, and find relief he might not. So now, despairing of that, he wrote to the Jews in very humble fashion, as here follows.[1] 19 To his loyal Jewish subjects Antiochus, their king and general, sends greeting, health, and happiness! 20 Thrive you and yours, and fare prosperously, I am well content. 21 For myself, I am in ill case, yet think ever kindly of you. On my way home from Persia, so grievous a distemper has fallen upon me, needs must I should take order for the public safety. 22 Despair I will not; there is good hope yet of my recovery. 23 But this thought weighs with me; when he went a-campaigning in the high countries, my father gave out who was to succeed him; 24 should aught go amiss, and ill tidings come, every governor in his own province must know his duty without fear of confusion. 25 And here be princes all about, I know it well, waiting upon events and ready to go with the times. Heir to the throne, then, I needs must designate. Again and again, when I set out for the high countries, I entrusted my son Antiochus to the general care. And now this written commission I have sent him … 26 As you love me, then, bethink you of those benefits you have received, both publicly and in private; keep faith, each and all of you, with me and with my son. 27 I doubt not he will shew himself his father’s true heir, ever courteous, and kindly, and easy of approach.

18 Sed non cessantibus doloribus (supervenerat enim in eum justum Dei judicium), desperans scripsit ad Judæos in modum deprecationis epistolam hæc continentem: 19 Optimis civibus Judæis plurimam salutem, et bene valere, et esse felices, rex et principes Antiochus. 20 Si bene valetis, et filii vestri, et ex sententia vobis cuncta sunt, maximas agimus gratias. 21 Et ego in infirmitate constitutus, vestri autem memor benigne reversus de Persidis locis, et infirmitate gravi apprehensus, necessarium duxi pro communi utilitate curam habere: 22 non desperans memetipsum, sed spem multam habens effugiendi infirmitatem. 23 Respiciens autem quod et pater meus, quibus temporibus in locis superioribus ducebat exercitum, ostendit qui post se susciperet principatum: 24 ut si quid contrarium accideret, aut difficile nuntiaretur, scientes hi qui in regionibus erant, cui esset rerum summa derelicta, non turbarentur. 25 Ad hæc, considerans de proximo potentes quosque et vicinos temporibus insidiantes, et eventum exspectantes, designavi filium meum Antiochum regem, quem sæpe recurrens in superiora regna multis vestrum commendabam: et scripsi ad eum quæ subjecta sunt. 26 Ora itaque vos, et peto memores beneficiorum publice et privatim, ut unusquisque conservet fidem ad me et ad filium meum. 27 Confido enim eum modeste et humane acturum, et sequentem propositum meum, et communem vobis fore.

28 ὁ μὲν οὖν ἀνδροφόνος καὶ βλάσφημος τὰ χείριστα παθών ὡς ἑτέρους διέθηκεν ἐπὶ ξένης ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσιν οἰκτίστῳ μόρῳ κατέστρεψεν τὸν βίον 29 παρεκομίζετο δὲ τὸ σῶμα Φίλιππος ὁ σύντροφος αὐτοῦ ὃς καὶ διευλαβηθεὶς τὸν υἱὸν Ἀντιόχου πρὸς Πτολεμαῖον τὸν Φιλομήτορα εἰς Αἴγυπτον διεκομίσθη

28 So died he, wretchedly enough, the murderer, the blasphemer, out in the hill-country far away from home. Cruel the blow that struck him down, as he had ever been cruel in his dealings. 29 His body was brought home again; Philip, his foster-brother, came back with it, and then took refuge in Egypt with Ptolemy Philometor, so little he trusted the young prince Antiochus.

28 Igitur homicida et blasphemus pessime percussus, et ut ipse alios tractaverat, peregre in montibus miserabili obitu vita functus est. 29 Transferebat autem corpus Philippus collactaneus ejus: qui, metuens filium Antiochi, ad Ptolemæum Philometorem in Ægyptum abiit.

[1] vv. 18-27. It seems probable that this proclamation was sent to all Antiochus’ subjects, the Jews receiving it among others. The document referred to at the end of verse 25 is no longer extant.

Knox Translation Copyright © 2013 Westminster Diocese
Nihil Obstat. Father Anton Cowan, Censor.
Imprimatur. +Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. 8th January 2012.
Re-typeset and published in 2012 by Baronius Press Ltd